Means by which the optical and flavor impression of a sausage may be modified have long included immersion into corresponding baths and the application of spices, in particular pepper. They are generally carried out manually and are correspondingly complex. There has therefore been no lack of attempts to develop casings which can transfer a dye, aroma substance or flavoring to a foodstuff situated therein. This is intended to proceed, in particular, on heating, scalding or cooking the food.
For instance, EP-A0 986 957 discloses a casing for sausage or poultry meat having a support film based on polyolefin, polyamide, polyester, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl chloride or polystyrene, the casing having on the inside a coating having a transferable flavoring, for example a liquid grilled chicken aroma. The flavoring is mixed in this case with a binder, such as alginate, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylstarch, chitosan, globulin, pectin, carageenan, casein, soy protein or wheat protein. The binder is preferably further crosslinked with a crosslinker, such as glyoxal, glutaraldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde or trimethylolmelamine. Between the support film made of the thermoplastic polymer and the flavoring-containing layer, a further non-water-soluble layer can be situated. It can contain polysaccharide and/or protein. This further layer can also be arranged as covering layer on the layer having the flavoring. When the sausage is heated, solely the flavoring is transferred to the foodstuff, if appropriate through the covering layer. For a transfer of solid flavorings, for example of pepper (ground, in pieces or in the form of whole peppercorns), the casing described in the EP-A is not usable.
EP-A 0 992 194 finally discloses a barrier casing for foodstuffs which are scalded or cooked in the casing. The casing comprises a water vapor barrier and gas-tight film and an absorbent inner layer firmly attached thereto which is impregnated with dyes and/or aroma substances. Suitable materials for the inner layer are, in particular, woven fabric, knitted fabric or nonwovens made of cotton, cellulose or viscose fibers. The inner layer can be laminated or glued on. As dye or aroma substance, liquid smoke is preferred. Solid aroma substances or flavorings, such as pepper, cannot be transferred to a foodstuff situated in the casing by this casing either.
Using the sausage casing described in DE 195 00 470 A1, pepper may also be transferred. The casing is provided on the inside with an adhesive layer solidifying from the liquid state onto which spice particles are centrifuged while the adhesive layer is still adhesive. Excess particles are removed again, for example by a vigorous air stream. The casing itself generally comprises a textile material, in particular a woven cotton fabric. The method can be controlled in such a manner that the spice particles are not entirely incorporated into the adhesive layer. When the casing is taken off from the ripened sausage, they then for the most part remain on or in the sausage surface. This is particularly important in cases where the adhesive layer is not intended to become an edible part of the sausage. However, for the adhesive layer, use can also be made of substances which, after the sausage casing has been taken off, remain in whole or in part on the sausage. The adhesive layer then comprises, for example, a protein or an alginate. This casing has the disadvantage that the sausage meat emulsion very readily pushes together the spice particles on stuffing the casing. When the casing has been taken off, an uneven coating with pepper particles may then be observed. Only solid spice particles can be transferred by the casing. Liquid flavoring and/or aroma substances, such as paprika extract or liquid smoke, cannot be transferred simultaneously. A further disadvantage is that the amount of spice particles per unit area cannot be determined in advance exactly.
DE 103 14 699, which was unpublished at the priority date of the present application, relates to a textile casing which stores the dyes, aroma substances and/or flavorings directly and can release them to a foodstuff situated therein. The amount of spice to be transferred cannot be controlled exactly by this casing, since fractions can remain in the casing itself.